Printing press delivering apparatus



Jan. 18, 1955 I e. NERI 2,699,943

PRINTING PRESS DELIVERING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 7, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 18, 1955 G NERl PRINTING PRESS DELIVERING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 7, 1951 INVENTOR. 2/01 placed under the machines delivery device.

United States Patent PRINTING PRESS DELIVERING APPARATUS Gastone Neri, Milan, Italy Application February 7, 1951-, Serial No. 209,777 Claims priority, application Italy February 27, 1950 3 Claims. (Cl. 271-86) This present invention relates to an improved apparatus for delivery of printed sheets produced by printing presses, and more particularly produced by .offset print.- ing presses provided with a movable receiving table and with an outlet or delivery device which neatly piles up the printed sheets on said receiving table as they aredelivered successively from said printing press.

Generally speaking, printing offset pressesproduced according to the current practice and provided with a movable receiving table are subject to common objection that which occur from pensive printing machines are not subject to the above said objection, said larger machines being provided with delivery devices through which a continuous flow of outcoming printed sheet is delivered, but sald continuous delivery devices are generally too bulky and costly for convenient combination of same with small and medium sized offset printing presses as commonly used in and required by printing shops and the like.

It is an object of the present invention to remove the said common objection and provide means which allow uninterrupted action of the printing press even as the receiving table is removed from under the machines delivery device for unloading of said table by the'piled up printed sheets previously delivered by the machine and to provide a simple apparatus so constructed and arranged in combination with the printing machine that the outcoming printed sheets can be temporarily received and piled up on a receiving device included in said apparatus while the conventional receiving table is removed from under the delivery device of the press for unloading purposes, said temporarily received and piled printed sheets on the said receiving device being successively transferred to the said conventional receiving table, as the latter is re- Other objects will appear as the description of this my invention proceeds.

I attain the above said object by providing an apparatus comprising a movable portion so arranged and dimensioned that a receiving table may temporarily be actuated at will and when required beneath the delivering device of the printing press and over the top of the pile formed by the printed sheets loaded on the conventional movable receiving table, thus allowing removal of said conventional receiving table for unloading purposes while the printed sheets subsequently and continuously delivered by the machine are piled over the temporarily actuated receiving table formed by the said movable portion, means being provided for removal of said movable portion from over the conventional receiving table as the latter is unloaded and replaced under the machines delivery device and for passing the temporarily piled printed sheets from the said movable portion to the said replacedconventional receiving table as said movable portion is removed from its temporarily operative position.

In a preferred embodiment of my present invention the said movable portion is constructed in form of a continuous or interrupted surface slidably supported by a frame arranged beneath the machine, means being provided to reciprocate said slidable surface along a nearly horizontal path at one end of which the said slidable surface is placed over the conventional receiving table while in the opposite end of said path said conventional receiving table is freed from said slidable surface, and means being provided for preventing the piled printed sheets from following the said slidable surface in its retreating movement and for having said printed sheets transferred on the replaced conventional receiving table.

In one form of preferred embodiment of my present invention the said slidable surface is formed of an as sembly comprising a plurality of parallelrods, or bars transversely placed in respect to direction of movement, the opposite ends of which bars are supported by two parallel endless chains arranged along the opposite sides of the machine and embracing the conventional receiving table, the combination of said chains and said bars forming a substantially flat surface on which the outcoming printed sheets may be readily piled up, 'the length of said endless chains being not less than twice the length of the printed sheets to be received, so that said flat surface may be retracted from over the replaced conventional receiving table thus allowing the latter to freely receive the continuously outcoming printed sheets.

The movement of the said endless chains and consequently of the bars may be actuated by action of a handle, transmission means being provided for connecting said handle to both said endless chains.

In another form of preferred embodiment of my invention the said slidable surface is constructed in the form of an assembly comprising a plurality of parallel bars, longitudinally placed in respect to direction of movement, said parallel bars being slidably supported by tubular bearings and the opposite ends of said bars being connected by two transversely placed connecting bars.

With the foregoing and other features and objects in view, the present invention will now be described in further detail which will be more fully understood when read with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of an apparatus according to the first said form of embodiment of my present invention, on the line I II-III of Fig. 2, in combination with a con- 1 ventional' offset printing press.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of same, sectioned in part. on the line II-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a two-plane transverse vertical section of same, on the line II-II-II-II of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of an apparatus according to the second said form of preferred embodiment of my invention, a half-side of the apparatus being shown only, the features of same being symmetrically repeated on the opposite half-side.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of same, on line IV--IV of Fig. 4.

Like numerals refer to like or equivalent parts throughout the several figures, in which the assembly and the parts of the printing press and of its printing and delivery devices are diagrammatically drawn in consideration of thefact that said assembly and parts are not comprised in the field and range of this my invention and in consideration of the fact that the combination of an apparatus according to my present invention with any conventional printing press does not require any modification to operative parts of the latter. For the reason stated above, too, throughout the following description the parts of the printing machine will be indi cated and described only where and when necessary for understanding of the arrangement and working of the improved delivery apparatus according to this invention.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, in Fig. 1, numeral 10 indicates a conventional offset printing press, in which, according to the current practice, a delivering endless chain 11 is provided for delivery of a continuous flow of printed sheets 12 from the printing cylinders 13 over the conventional receiving table 14 on which a pile 15 of printed sheets is consequently formed. Said conventional receiving table 14 is supported by wheels 16 and 17 allowing easy removal of same table for un- "and rear bars.

According to my present invention, said interruption 5? will be unnecessary by providing the machinewith ta movable receiving surface actuated by the combination. of a number of parallel cross-bars 18, 19, 20 and 21 the'oppo- 'site'ends of which are connected to endless parallel chains 22 and 23 respectively. 2 and 3, said endless chains 22 and 23 are arranged externally and along the sides of pile 15 and, as particularly shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the upper portions of said chains As particularly shown in Figs.

'22 and 23 are arranged in a substantially horizontal position and at an higher level than the top of pile 15.

, A substantially continuous and smooth receiving surface is attained by superimposing on said bars 18, 19, and 21, strips 24, which cover substantially the whole surface outlined by the front and the rear ones of said bars, 18 ad 21 respectively, and by'the portion of said chains 22 and 23 included between the ends of said front Said strips are divided by longitudinal spaces 25 and the uncovered upper surface of any one of said bars is provided with grooves 26 which noticably lower the said upper surface where not covered by said 5 strips 24.

Said provision and arrangement of parts allow free movement of the described receiving surface from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to a position covering the top of pile 15, said receiving table passing under members 27 fixedly connected to the machines frame, notwithstanding that the lower edges of said members 27 are at a noticably lower level than the upper surface of said strips 24.

Said members 27 are supported by a bar 28 (Figs. 1 and 3) connected at its ends to the frame, said frame being composed of two parallel flank members 29 and 30 rigidly connected by cross-bars 31 and 32.

Any one of the said two chains 22 and 23 are supported by a front sprocket, or gear 33, and by a rear sprocket 34. Said front sprockets 33 are rotatably supported by the adjacent flank member of the frame, respectively 29 and 30, and no shaft is provided between said front sprockets, so that no member can prevent easy removal of the conventional receiving table 14 when loaded with pile 15 of printed sheets. Rear sprockets 34 are connected together by a shaft 35, the opposite ends of said shaft being rotatably supported by the free ends of swinging arms 36 borne by a shaft 37 the ends of which are rotatably supported by bearings 39 of flanks 29 and 30, bolts 38 being provided for angular connection of said shaft 37 to the frame; as consequence of the above described assembly comprising said members 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38, the two rear sprockets 34 may be moved back and forth as needed for adjustment of the chains tension, and fixedly connected to the frame in the desired position, by tightening said bolts '38.

Besides, as the said shaft 35 connects one rear'sprocket 34 to other rear sprocket, the two chains 22 and 23 are compelled to do like movements, thus ensuring correct movement of the receiving surface actuated by-said bars 18, 19, 20 and 21 and by said strips 24. According to the fact that in the form of embodiment shown the upper portions of chains 22 and 23 are set on a line, said strips 24 may material, as example said strips may be made of aluminium or metallic sheets, plywood, and the like. 'When the construction of the printing :press and the arrangement of parts of the latter do not'admit a construction and arrangement as, shown, the rear half of chains 22 and 23 may be downwardly inclined at will, by means of easily conceivable pulleys arranged beneath themiddle point of upper portion of chains 22 and 23, the nearly horizontal arrangement of the front half only of said chains being necessary for proper working of the apparatus according to this my invention. In such case, therefore, the said strips 24 must be made of pliable material, as of thin metallic sheets,textiles, and the like. According to the form of embodiment show-n, one of said front sprockets 33 is used as driving means for movement of the movable-receiving table, vaudit is connected be formed of any rigid or pliable with a handle 40, a couple of meshing bevel gears 41 and 42 being provided for connection between the shaft of handle 40 and the shaft of said one front sprocket 33. The movement of the chain driven by said one front sprocket is transmitted to the other chain by shaft 35, for the reason stated above.

An apparatus substantially as above described and shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 works as follows: during ordinary operation of the printing press, namely when the conventional receiving table 14 is correctly kept under the machines delivery .device, the movable receiving table of the described apparatus is kept at its resting backward position, as shown in the accompanying figures, and the machines above said delivery device goes on piling up printed sheets on conventional receiving table 14, on which pile 15 is progressively formed, that is the machine substantially works as if no other apparatus was included.

As the printer notices that removal of conventional receivingtable 14 is almost needed for unloading purposes, he turns handle 40 until the movable receiving table formed by the said strips 24 is bronghtito its operative forward position covering the top of pile 15, so that a new receiving table is temporarily formed beneath the machines delivery device, on which new table the outcoming printed sheets are supported and piled up just as the sheets are piled on top of pile 15. While the press is kept running and new printed sheets delivered, the operator has plenty of time for removal of the conventional table 14, unloading same and replacing it in itstregular working position: then by a new action on handle 40, the printer makes the temporarily actuated receiving table retreat to its backward resting position.

' During'said backward movement, the small pile of printed sheets formed on said stripse24 is urged to slide down onto the underplaced conventional receiving table 14, by abutment of the rear side of said small pile on members 27. As said backward movement is fully accomplished,

the machine is brought back in its ordinary working condition.

According to another form of embodiment of an apparatus as shownin Figs. 4 and 5, and equivalent to the one above described, the temporarily used receiving table, for support of printed sheets outcoming when the conventional receiving table 14 is removed, is formed by the assembly of a number of parallel bars 50 slidably supported by bearing 51 borne by a cross-iron 52 the Opposite ends of which'are connected to the flanks 53 of the apparatus frame. Any one of said parallel bars 50 is connected to the other ones by a rear cross-iron 54 and by a front cross-iron 55, said rear and front cross-irons being placed respectively in backward and in forward position'respectively to bearings 51, so that the assembly comprising said parallel bars and said cross-irons may slide back and forth in a movement the amplitude of which is defined by the length of said bars between said cross-irons. For sake of simplicity, in the accompanying drawing said bars are shown as spaced apart, but it is preferred to provide a large number of parallel bars narrowly spaced apart, because the receiving surface is actuated by the upper surface of such bars.

Thev necessary back and forth movement of the described asscmbly may be actuated by means of any suitable device. In the form of embodiment shown, said device comprises a handle 56 connected to one end of a shaft 57, the other end of which is connected to a bevel gear 58 in meshing with another bevel gear 59 which in turn is connected to a second shaft 60, transversely placed beneath the assembly of bars 50. Nearby opposite ends of 'said'shaft 60, two pulleys 61 are arranged-and connected to the same. shafga rope 62 being wound around anyone of said pulleys andthe oppositeends of the rope 62 beingfconnected toan extension 6350f rear cross-iron 54 and to an extension 64 of front' cross-iron 55, so that asimple device is actuated for impressing the necessary back'and forth linear movement of the said slidable assembly,'by rotation of pulleys 61.

The working of the above described apparatus as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is substantially like the working of the apparatus described with reference toFigs. 1, 2 and 3, members 65 beingprovided. for urging the piled printed sheets, temporarily received and supported by the said bars 50 when in forward operative position, to slide down on the conventional receiving table 1'4,'as said bars 50 are retreating towards their backward resting posi- 55 being provided for free passage of said cross-iron under said members 65. a 1

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the said front CIOSS-H'Oll 55 may be usefully constructed in the shape of a blade, or knife, the front sharpened edge 67 of which may easily insert itself between the piled printed sheets in the event that the top of pile 15 supported by theconventional table 14 reaches a higher level than that of the sliding assembly plane. An equivalent result may be easily attained in an apparatus constructed substantially as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, by shaping the front cross-bar 18 of the latter in the shape of a knife. As shown in Fig. 5, an easier introduction of said front cross-bar between the piled printed sheets may be attained by having sa1d sharpened edge 67 inclined relatively to the rear side of the pile 15.

In the forms of embodiment shown, the construction of an apparatus according to this my invention is of simple and rather cheap type, as it is deemed more convenient in view of the specific field of application of this invention. Therefore, an apparatus substantially constructed as above described or equivalent to same may be improved when needed with the provision of other devices for faster and easier control and working. As example, the apparatus according to this invention may be provided either with an electric motor as source of power for movement of the movable temporary receiving surface, or with suitable transmitting means connecting the driven parts of said movable receiving table to one rotating member of the printing press, a clutch being provided for engagement and disengagement of said movable receiving surface with and respectively from said rotating member.

For the above stated reason, when in the appended claims the expression moving means associated with said planar structure is read, said expression is intended to include any suitable hand-powered or motor-powered means which may actuate for the stated purpose, by using current skill and knowledge in the art.

An apparatus according to my present invention may be improved by the provision of suitable means for selfaction of same apparatus too, for example by providing said apparatus with an easily conceivable electrical or mechanical contacting means which acts automatically when the level of pile 15 reaches a defined height, and by providing a relay which starts the movement of the receiving table when said contacting means acts.

According to the fact that an apparatus substantially as described above is intended to be applied to printing machines of different model, shape and size, several other modifications and changes may be made for having the construction of an assembly best fitting to the specific printing machine, so that several other forms of embodiment of this my invention may be actuated as needed by the specific application, namely in the construction of the movable temporary receiving table, of supporting means and of the driving means of same.

In the forms of embodiment of my invention, as above described and shown in the accompanying drawing, the apparatus is provided on its own frame, on which all operative parts are arranged and supported, said frame being intended to be in turn arranged within and supported by the printing machines own frame; in the case that the original frame of the printing machine is so shaped that the various movable and standing members and parts of an apparatus according to my invention may be directly mounted thereon, no other frame is necessary.

Moreover, it will be understood that the arrangement and the combination of parts and elements of the assemblies described above or parts thereof may find useful application in making devices and apparatus of types other than those described.

For the reasons above stated, while I have illustrated and described the invention as embodied in assemblies for delivery of printed sheets outcoming from an offset type printing press, I do not intend to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications, improvements and structural changes may be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of my invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of my invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of the prior art, fairly constitute the essential characteris'tic of the generic or specific aspects of this invention,

and therefore, such adaptions should and areintended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the following claims.

What I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent is:

' For use with a machine which successively delivers a plurality of sheet material portions to'a carrier in such a way that the sheet material portions become piled one upon the other on the carrier, apparatus for temporarily receiving the sheet. material portions so that the machine may operate continuously while'the carrier is prepared to receive a new pile of sheet material portions, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a frame having a pair of opposite substantially parallel and upright side members having a first pair of opposite portions respectively located on opposite sides of the area where the carrier is located to receive the sheet material portions and a second pair of opposite portions forming an extension of said first pair of opposite portions and being located next to said area; a substantially planar structure mounted on said frame for movement along said side members thereof between an operative position where said planar structure extends substantially across the space between said first pair of opposite portions of said frame side members and an inoperative position where said planar structure extends substantially across the space between said second pair of opposite portions of said frame side members, said planar structure having a front rigid bar at one extreme end thereof and a rear rigid bar at an opposite end thereof, said front rigid bar of said planar structure having a front knife edge adapted, when said planar structure is moved from said inoperative position thereof to said operative position thereof, to enter between a pair of sheet material portions piled on said carrier, said bars extending substantially across the space between said frame side members, and said planar structure including a connecting means interconnecting said rigid bars and maintaining the same at a substantially fixed distance from each other, said connecting means being located in its entirety between the lowest and highest parts of said bars; and moving means associated with said planar structure for moving the same between said operative and inoperative positions.

2. For use with a machine Which successively delivers a plurality of sheet material portions to a carrier in such a way that the sheet material portions become piled one upon the other on the carrier, apparatus for temporarily receiving the sheet material portions so that the machine may operate continuously while the carrier is prepared to receive a new pile of sheet material portions, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a frame having a pair of opposite substantially parallel and upright side members having a first pair of opposite portions respectively located on opposite sides of the area where the carrier is located to receive the sheet material portions and a second pair of opposite portions forming an extension of said first pair of opposite portions and being located next to said area; a substantially planar structure mounted on said frame for movement along said side members thereof between an operative position where said planar structure extends substantially across the space between said first pair of opposite portions of said frame side members and an inoperative position where said planar structure extends substantially across the space" between said second pair of opposite portions of said frame side members, said planar structure having a front rigid bar at one extreme end thereof and a rear rigid bar at an opposite end thereof, said front rigid bar of said planar structure having a front knife edge adapted, when said planar structure is moved from sa1d inoperative position thereof to said operative positlon thereof, to enter between a pair of sheet material portions piled on said carrier, said front knife edge being 1ncl1ned to the direction of movement of said planar structure, sa1d bars extending substantially across the space between said frame side members, and said planar structure including a connecting means interconnecting said rigid bars and maintaining the same at a substantially fixed distance from each .other, said connecting means being located in its entirety between the lowest and highest parts of said bars; and moving means associated with sa1d planar structure for moving the same between said operative and inoperative positions.

r3.- A temporary receiving: apparatus for receivingapile ofsheetmaterial portions; said apparatus comprising,in 'eombination,. a frameihaving a pair of opposite, spaced, substantially parallel and substantially horizontal side members; a substantially planar structure extending substantiallyacrosssthe space between said. sidemembers and being supported thereon for movement itherealong between :anoperativeposition where. saidplanar structure is adaptedito. receive sheetmaterial portionsand an inopera- :tive positioniout-of 'the path of movement of the sheet material portions, said planar structure having a front rigid bar extending substantially: across the. space between .said frame side membersat one end of said planar structureand a rearligidbarextendingsubstantially.across the :space between said frame side members. at an opposite end of said planar structure, said front rigid bar being provided with a front. knife edge inclined .toithe direction of movement of said,planarstructure and said front and rear bars being in a substantially. fixed relationshipto each other so as to be maintained at a predetermineddistance from each other duringmovement of said planar structure between said operative, and inoperativepositions thereof.

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